FINALLY! Everything just came together today - a slow day for work, sun and 15c outside, and my poor Scott just begging to be ridden after - what? - must be 3 or 4 months?! And I call myself a cyclist!

I have said again and again I am not a fanatical mountain biker, obsessed with staying at the peak of fitness all winter. So I’ve just left the bike on ice (literally!) and been doing some running and, just in the last few weeks, swimming - and been quite enjoying the latter at least, to my surprise!

However, I have nowhere to store the bike, so it has been out on the balcony all winter, at some points covered in snow. Not surprisingly, it has suffered:

1) chain rusted

2) chainrings rusty

3) forks spotted with rust (the exposed parts of the pistons, whatever they’re called)

However, on closer examination I realised that this was all pretty superficial. Not wanting to strip the bike at this stage, otherwise I will never get out and ride the darned thing, I gave all the rust a good going-over with a toothbrush soaked in an oil-based solvent (the toothbrush starts to melt after a while though, so may have to rethink that approach at some point!) and then oiled everything up, and I was ready to roll.

And what a good feeling, to be back on the bike, in short-sleeved jersey and shorts at that. The bike feels great, a world apart from the heap I ride around town (oh, sure, I have done SOME cycling!) and all I can say is that the swimming and running HAVE helped keep up a certain level of fitness. But there’s a kind of cycling fitness that can only be kept up by… cycling, and I can certainly feel a distinct lack of “oomph” in my legs which I hope can be quickly remedied - if the weather stays like this, of course.

Two conclusions:

1) At the very least, cover up the bike with some kind of plastic if you’re going to leave it out all winter… d’uh…

2) I am STILL toying with the idea of that trainer for next year. Only problem is, no room, so I would probably have to use it out on the balcony… Ho hum!

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Posted on February 22nd, 2008 by markowe
Filed under: Biking - general, MTB Serbia (All)